March 16, 2026 – Slinger, Wi – The No. 2 Slinger Owl’s boys basketball team is headed to the Division 2 WIAA State Tournament in Madison following a big win Saturday night against Green Bay Notre Dame Academy, 53-42. Slinger will face McFarland at 1:35 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, in the State semi-final.
Coming off the win Saturday night, Brett Palm, Colton Mantz, and Jack Kohnen sat down in their first interview to talk about the big win and advancing to the State Tournament.
Click HERE to view pictures from Slinger vs. Notre Dame at Budish Photography
“It made me feel pretty good. It’s a pretty special moment. It hasn’t happened at Slinger in a long time, so it’s pretty cool,” said Palm.
Mantz echoed the emotion. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We haven’t been to state in many years, so it’s a great feeling. It was cool to experience that with the whole community watching and obviously with this group. It’s been a pretty special year for us.”
The Owls enter the state tournament with an overall record of 24–4, including a 10–2 mark in conference play. While the team hasn’t blown out many opponents, the players say that speaks to the competitive path they’ve taken.
“I think it just speaks to how hard we play. We just play together as a team and we do what we need to do to win,” said Kohnen.
That philosophy also guided Slinger’s challenging schedule.
“We kind of had a tough schedule from the start,” Kohnen said. “Obviously we wanted to challenge ourselves with some tough games just to get us ready for this playoff run. All the teams are really good now. The state tournament’s the best in the state and every team here wants to win. No one wants to go home.”
With the postseason underway, the Owls believe they are playing their best basketball.
“I feel like the type of play right now, we are peaking at the right time,” Kohnen said. “We have a pretty experienced group with seniors, juniors and some underclassmen. We’ve gone through some hardships the last couple years and that’s made us grow together. I think we’re playing our best basketball right now.”
Defense has been the foundation of that success, and players were quick to credit teammates who help prepare them in practice.
“We have a scout team and those guys push us really hard in practice,” said Palm. “The bench gives us a lot of energy and when those guys go in, they play good minutes for us.”
Rotation player Jude Siikarla, a 6’6 junior, was also called out for his contribution.
“He’s kind of like the sixth starter for us. He comes in, plays a ton of minutes and does big things for us. We need him to win games,” said Kohnen.
The Owls now have a week to prepare for McFarland.
“We’re just going to focus on what we need to do and not worry about distractions or what people are saying,” said Mantz. “Just focus on what we need to do to play our best this weekend.”
Off the court, the players say chemistry has been key.
“Every once in a while before games we’ll all go to one of our houses and the family will make dinner for everyone,” Mantz said. “We hang out there for an extra hour or two after practice.”
Playing at the Kohl Center will bring a much bigger stage, but the team says it will approach the game the same way.
“It’s a big environment, but we just have to focus on what we need to do and not get distracted by the situation,” said Kohnen.
The team entered the season believing a state run was possible.
“At the start of the season the goal was to win the state championship,” said Mantz. “We’re tracking to do that. We’re not there yet, but we’re on a good track.”
Last year’s early postseason exit helped shape their mindset.
“Last year our season got cut short and we got a little distracted. This year we knew what was coming, so we just had to focus on that.”
Even with the excitement of the state tournament, players emphasized the importance of schoolwork.
“In the classroom all of our guys are pretty locked in,” said Kohnen. “We have a lot of guys with really good GPAs. If you’re not getting it done in the classroom, you’re not going to get it done on the court.”
Slinger’s community has followed the team closely all season, and the players hope that support continues in Madison.
“The community is really special here,” said Palm. “There’s a ton of people who come to the games. The student section is always packed. It’s always rocking.”
For anyone debating whether to make the trip to Madison, the players had a simple pitch.
“I’d say we’re pretty fun to watch,” said Mantz. “We play really good defense and we play as a team.”
Kohnen said, “It’s going to be a great environment and two great teams playing. It’s a pretty special team and hopefully a high-energy game.”
Tipoff is Friday, March 20, 2026, at 1:35 p.m. at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Slinger High School will host a farewell celebration Thursday afternoon as the team heads to the State Capitol. Watch for a livestream of the event at WashingtonCountyInsider.com
On a side note:
-The North Shore All-Conference selections have been released and Slinger has four players named to the team including 1st team: Jack Kohnen, 2nd team: Joey Kohnen, and Honorable Mention: Bryson Fogle and Brett Palm.
-Slinger Junior Jack Kohnen was named Conference Player of the Year in the North Shore Conference.
-The only person on the Slinger team who has been to WIAA State Tournamen is coach Derek Berger, who in four seasons as the head coach at Dominican High School, led the Knights to four-straight WIAA Division 4 state championships.
Hat tip to Josh Budish at Budish Photography
